Thursday, March 19, 2009

A Distinguished Leader

This weekend my boss is being honored by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology for his consistent excellence in theater design. Theater design is considered the most difficult form of architecture and my boss is regarded by most as the best in the world so you could say he's a big deal.

Barton Myers is pretty laid back as far as bosses are concerned. He has the hand writing of an ancient Egyptian and he says things like "idears" instead of ideas. His wife is the most adorable woman I have ever known. Other than that he's been a Navy fighter pilot, worked under Louis Kahn, continues to be a distinguished professor, and has humbly been an architect for over fifty years. This weekend he's being recognized based on his five theaters built to date. Nice work Big B!

The Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta Canada was Barton's first theater, completed in 1973. I wasn't even born yet! Diamond and Myers with associate architects R.L. Wilkin. Photos by John Fulker.

Portland featured side seating and multiple balconies to bring audiences closer to the stage.

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts completed in 1993 was 136,000 sq.ft. and included a 1950 seat multi-form theater, ancillary spaces, and a 250 seat community room. Barton Myers Associates. Photography by Wolfgang Simon.

Considered to be one of the most technologically sophisticated theaters in the world, mobile seating towers on air casters allowing five different configurations of seating.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center was quite a pinnacle in Barton's career. Newark wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for NJPAC. In an effort to revive the dieing city and deserted waterfront, the site of NJPAC was demolished in the early 90's.